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    Formerly known by names including "Atlas" and "Timely", Marvel Entertainment is the publisher of comic books featuring iconic characters and teams such as the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Captain America and Daredevil. Currently owned by the Walt Disney Company, Marvel is one of the "Big Two" comic publishers along with DC Comics.

    Off My Mind: Marvel's Most Iconic Female Character

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    gmanfromheck

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    Edited By gmanfromheck

    If you think about the most notable comic book characters, the ones that come to mind are Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and Hulk. When it comes to comics, female characters rarely get the spotlight. This may be partly due to the fact that most readers and creators of comic books were males in the beginning. If there were any female characters in a comic book, they were designated to the role of the girlfriend or damsel in distress. Early attempts to make strong female characters often were short lived or were eventually put in a lesser role than their male counterparts.

    The two earliest strong female characters were Sheena, Queen of the Jungle and Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman became DC's main female character that had the ability to fight side-by-side with Superman, even if she wasn't always portrayed that way. There's no question non-comic book readers today would immediately answer 'Wonder Woman' if asked to name a female comic book character.

    No Caption Provided

    What if those same people were asked to name a female Marvel comic book character? DC has Wonder Woman and you can even throw in Catwoman or Supergirl. Who is Marvel's most iconic female character?

    == TEASER ==

    With recent attempts at movies, non-comic book readers are most likely familiar with the Invisible Woman or Storm thanks to Jessica Alba and Halle Berry. I do think Sue Storm deserves some respect as being one of Marvel's First Ladies but I don't think you could say she is Marvel's most iconic female.

    No Caption Provided

    If I had to name the most iconic female, I would have to go with Elektra. She may not be always in the spotlight or featured in a long-running monthly comic but since Frank Miller introduced her in 1981's Daredevil #168 along with Elektra: Assassin and Elektra Lives Again, she's achieved a certain level of respect. Elektra also had her own series in the 90s and even (unfortunately?) had a live action movie of her own in 2005 after appearing in 2003's Daredevil. There was even a Barbie doll version made.

    What about She-Hulk? She's had a few ongoing series and is associated with Hulk. Despite that, I don't think she would be a household name. You would think Jean Grey would be known since she was one of the original X-Men and appeared in the first three X-Men movies. Most people are familiar with The Dark Phoenix Saga, which was also featured in the 90s X-Men cartoon. Perhaps it's her lack of an actual superhero name that's been holding her back. Some might say Mary Jane due to her association with Spider-Man but she's not a superhero.

    No Caption Provided

    If anyone comes a close second to Elektra, in terms of non-comic book readers, it might be Spider-Woman. In 2007, the U.S. Postal Service put out a set of Marvel Comics postal stamps. Surprisingly, they didn't include just one female character but two. It was Elektra and Spider-Woman that made the cut. Spider-Woman did have her own animated show in 1979 but she's still no where near having the recognition that Wonder Woman has.

    This brings up another question, why is it that Wonder Woman can't catch a break when it comes to live-action? She did have a live-action TV show starring Lynda Carter in the 70s but comic fans have been asking for a live-action movie for years. Also, we all know that the attempt to make a new live-action television show has been squashed. Elektra got a big screen movie but Wonder Woman can't even make it back to television.

    No Caption Provided

    The unfortunate matter is female comic book characters don't sell as well as male characters. We had that Bad Girl phase in the 90s that thankfully went away. Because many young male readers enjoy looking at female characters with tight or revealing clothing, it's surprising that female driven books don't sell more. It might be a matter that young readers are intimidated by strong female characters or maybe it's because the male characters often get the spotlight in the major comic book events.

    It's just really strange that trying to name Marvel's most iconic female character is so difficult. There was some disagreement in the Whiskey Media office when I asked this question. What female character would your friends or family be able to name if you asked them?

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    tonis

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    #1  Edited By tonis

    Sue Storm is technically the first one, without a doubt.

    Ms. Marvel though has always been in my mind their strongest female in personality though. With She-Hulk a close second.
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    cosmo111687

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    #2  Edited By cosmo111687

    Coming from someone who believes that X-Men is Marvel's pivotal work, I'd say that Jean Grey/Phoenix is Marvel's most iconic female character. 

    Although, I think that part of the reason why it's so difficult to find THE iconic female Marvel character is because Marvel is very team-based while DC, in contrast, likes to focus on independent characters with their own titles. That means that Marvel characters become obscured - we all know the X-Men, but not everybody knows who the members of the X-Men are. But if DC had the rights to Beast, let's say, they would probably give Beast his own comic book line and put a lot of work into building him as an individual character, and then his name recognition would grow. That being said, whenever Marvel does give characters their own independent titles, those characters have historically been almost entirely male (up until the past decade or so).

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    PeteyParker

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    #3  Edited By PeteyParker

    STORM!!! How is this even a discussion? 

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    FoxxFireArt

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    #4  Edited By FoxxFireArt

    I would say that Emma Frost, Storm and Sue Storm would get my vote for strong female charcaters. I don't know if I could call any of them as "Iconic". Not on the level of Wonder Woman or Catwoman. (I haven't read enough Ms. Marvel to really say) I get more annoyed about Jean Grey since she's constantly dying and returning. They never seem to be able to find a story for her that doesn't involve her being Scott Summer's wife/girlfriend.

    Why is Gwen Stacy on that cover and not Emma? She's been dead for years. Though, I do have to say that Gwen is more of an influence than Mary Jane. MJ's only role in the story is Peter Parker's girlfriend. Even Lois Lane has been more that Superman's wife. She's a top investigative reporter.

    Marvel has often time seemed light years behind DC when it comes to creating strong female characters. More often, Marvel falls back on fan service, which I don't have a problem with. They just seem to have a lack of understanding on how to market and use them. If you were to go to the average person and ask them to name female characters form Marvel and DC. I'm betting that they would name more DC women.

    I think that could be an interesting poll to ask people at the next comic convention. Ask the people to name the most iconic woman in DC and then ask them who is the most iconic for Marvel. DC's I'm betting will be pretty consistent, but Marvel's will be all over the place.

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    jubilee042

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    #5  Edited By jubilee042

    storm guys i mean first black female superhero dc didn't do that she is a goddess and during the marvel vs dc event she fought wonder woman which means she is WW level and the i would say jean grey

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    Bestostero

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    #6  Edited By Bestostero

    Storm for sure, just look at how many action figures she gets compared to the other girls, she's almost involved in every major crossover, etc.

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    trinity_stormbreaker

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    As a fan more so of DC rather then Marvel, I guess I could give a good opinion from an outsider who doesn't known much about the Marvel Universe. The most iconic female I think from Marvel would be Storm, because alongside Elektra, Sue Storm and Jean Grey, she was the first person to appear in my mind. Not only that, in the 1996 DC vs Marvel series, she was the character the two companies mutually decided to fight Wonder Woman (DC's most recognizable and most powerful female character), and Wonder Woman actually lost against her.

    Alongside the point above, personally Storm would have to be my favorite character in every incarnation of the X-Men television series, even in front of Wolverine, Magneto and Emma Frost. I think it would definitely be Storm.

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    cmaprice

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    #8  Edited By cmaprice

    I love the fact that Molly Hayes made that cover.

    Runaways needs more love, and a devoted creative team/series.

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    Eyz

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    #9  Edited By Eyz

    Sadly a lot of non-readers would name Elektra. Sadly? Cause it would be from memories of that awful Elektra movie...err....

    Anyway, I guess Sue Storm or Storm (2 Storms! Ha!) would get mention as Marvel's most iconic gals. (thanks to those movies)
    Yep, Storm before Rogue or Jean Grey. (if I tell any of those two names to non-comic fans friends who've seen the X-men movies...I don't think they'll remember those names even after multiple seeings...But Storm, thanks to Halle Berry..)

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    DH69

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    #10  Edited By DH69

    i laugh at the storm fans, you boys and ur weather girl :p

     

    ms marvel was pimped out the most during the last few years, with house of M, civil war, and her own excellent series, they were really trying to promote her as the most prominent female. But i gotta say it will always be Sue Storm i think marvel female i think her...although if i think naked marvel female i think mystique...if i think naked marvel dude its always wolverine =D.

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    Billy Batson

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    #11  Edited By Billy Batson

    Mary Marvel...

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    Out_of_Space

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    #12  Edited By Out_of_Space

    I think Sue is the most iconic female character in Marvel.

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    EdwardWindsor

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    #13  Edited By EdwardWindsor

    Sue Storm or Jean Grey fighting out for 1-2spot with Ms Marvel in 3rd. Storm struggles to make top 5 in my view.

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    Harlekin

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    #14  Edited By Harlekin

    If I showed the Women of Marvel pic to my friends who don't read comics they could point out Invisible Woman, Phoenix and maybe Elektra and She-Hulk.

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    Kenjav

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    #15  Edited By Kenjav

    I'd say Invisible Woman and Mary Jane are the most easily recognizable among non-readers.
    Jean Grey and Storm are pretty iconic too; they are characters with many good stories.
    Other great female characters: Rogue, Molly Hayes, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Kitty Pride.

    I believe none come as iconic as Wonder Woman because few of them are physically powerful to the levels she is (except maybe Rogue sometimes, and She-Hulk), and that is precisely what gets WW in the spotlight. She's basically a female Superman, or that's pretty much what I've always thought of her (not very fond of her, as you can see; and anyways, what's with the people whining about  she wearing pants instead of stupid star panties?? meh, anyways, that show is not happening).

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    the_stegman

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    #16  Edited By the_stegman  Moderator

    as some said before me, Marvel has a REALLY hard time making stand alone women characters due to their team aspect, while dc focuses more on the individual. to me at least it seems like all the women of marvel seem to be "just apart of the team" sure they get lines and some get whole adventures dedicated to them, but for the most part they can't be fleshed out enough, unlike dc who will dedicated whole series (whether they sale or not) to their women Wonder woman, zatanna, birds of prey, supergirl, batgirl, batwoman, power girl, heck even the villains like in gotham city sirens etc. even if the series aren't a hit, they still add much more backstory and personality to the characters (i'd love to read a Rogue series) but if i had to pick one, i'd pick sue storm for several reasons

    1.she is the backbone of the team, i believe without her (unlike her brother) the FF would crumble
    2.she has a strong independant personality,she can make choices without falling back on the male leader
    3.she's funny and smart without being bitchy (like so many marvel women are)
    4. and most of all, her powers are just badass!
    5. also side note, her costume can be sexy, yet not show huge amounts of cleavage or leg....although as a guy...i dont mind that too much....
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    redmanta

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    #17  Edited By redmanta


     no one  marvel doesn't have iconic female Character like dc 
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    MilanPeric

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    #18  Edited By MilanPeric

    I think Electra is the best marvel female hero!!!

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    HexThis

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    #19  Edited By HexThis

    I think it's hard for fans to answer because they have the bias of having some knowhow of comics as well as preference, think person on the street. It's got to be...

    Storm. Storm has been in every X-men animated series, almost every video game, many advertisements, she has her own ride at 6 Flags, she's been made into an action figure numerous times, she was the leader of the X-men...she's a huge character. If you're talking about the masses, non-comic book fans, she's the most recognizable...no question in my mind.

    Jean Grey is just as iconic as well as Sue Storm somewhat but in a different way. If you know comics, you at least know of the Dark Phoenix Saga. Also, they market the hell out of Jean Grey, she's always one of the first few figures when Marvel starts a line of action figures, Marvel advertises with her, the animated series have focused on her quite heavily, she's a big part of the movies.

     

    The unfortunate matter is female comic book characters don't sell as well as male characters. We had that Bad Girl phase in the 90s that thankfully went away. Because many young male readers enjoy looking at female characters with tight or revealing clothing, it's surprising that female driven books don't sell more. It might be a matter that young readers are intimidated by strong female characters or maybe it's because the male characters often get the spotlight in the major comic book events.

    It's just really strange that trying to name Marvel's most iconic female character is so difficult. There was some disagreement in the Whiskey Media office when I asked this question. What female character would your friends or family be able to name if you asked them?

     
    Female comicbook characters don't sell because women aren't marketed to and if they are it's always obnoxious and cartoony with Marvel (Marvel Divas? X-Women by porno drawer Milo Manara?).

    Marvel makes a lot of money from movies right now and studios really only care about making movies for males of 18-49. It's sad, it's stupid but it's true. It's not impossible to sell a good female-led movie or franchise. Buffy comics sell, Catwoman comics sold, Birds of Prey did well, Kill Bill was a box-office success. But capitalizing on chauvinism is just so easy....it's a shame
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    deactivated-5a98cd905fc97

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    Joan Lee, Stan Lee's wife.  She's a real character. ^_^
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    greenenvy

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    #21  Edited By greenenvy

    According to t shirts, calendars, merchandise that most non comic fans would see its invisible woman and storm that win there. Plus they have been in movies already not including Electra. But since Spider man and Hulk are two of the most iconic for marvel  then the  female counterparts known as She hulk and Spider woman  should of been the most iconic. The sad thing is  she hulk is underrated and so is spider woman so no one gives   a damn giving them a movie or have them on more shirts and merchandise. Sure Wonder Woman is DC's most iconic but even she is struggling a lot too I mean seriously what the hell is it, Sexism? 

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    SFX87

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    #22  Edited By SFX87

    For me it's Sue Storm she was the first female superheroe in Marvel
     
     
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    Biondello

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    #23  Edited By Biondello

    Storm I think. She was the only one I had ever heard of before I had started reading comics. 

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    intothetempest

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    #24  Edited By intothetempest

    Storm without question. Whether you like or dislike her you have to face the fact that for some reason everybody knows who she is. If you’re on this site it may be because of all the unfortunate storm threads or it might be that she appears as one of the most prominent x men, she’s had her own teams before. One thing that sets her out is that she’s easily recognizable physically, there are a lot of blonde and even red headed women in comics. But how many white haired African princess’ are there? I have a picture of Jean Rogue and Storm as my desktop background and my non comic reading friend came over and says “is that a picture of the x men” I tried to deny it but he just said “I can see Storm”. She is the leading lady of Marvel, thanks to her widespread fame in all sorts of media

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    DMC

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    #25  Edited By DMC

    You'd be surprised how many people don't know there's a She-Hulk.

    A few years ago I would say Ms Marvel, cause it felt like Marvel was pushing Carol in that direction. Plus she had an ongoing series. But still she's not as well known outside of comic circles.

    Maybe you guys should do a survey and ask the general public? ^_^

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    Hawkeye446

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    #26  Edited By Hawkeye446
    @DMC said:
    You'd be surprised how many people don't know there's a She-Hulk.A few years ago I would say Ms Marvel, cause it felt like Marvel was pushing Carol in that direction. Plus she had an ongoing series. But still she's not as well known outside of comic circles. Maybe you guys should do a survey and ask the general public? ^_^


    I agree. It seemed that back in 2006ish when she was the leader of the Mighty Avengers, and she had her own series, Marvel was really trying to get her in that role. I mean her name is Ms. Marvel. If she was a household name, it would pretty easy to assciate her with Marvel. Although, this sort of dropped out.

     

    When I first read this post I was thinking Jean Grey. Highly Iconic, centre of the biggest X-Men arc created. But then, she has died, come back and died again. I am sure many people are unsure about her. I hardly knew anything about Jean when I began reading.

     

    Therefore I am saying Storm, others have already explained the reasons why.

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    Ult_GBandit

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    #27  Edited By Ult_GBandit

    Rogue = #1
    Jean Grey and her Phoenix force = #2
    Kitty Pryde #3
    Spider-woman #4
    Black Cat #5

    I hated Storm in the 90's cartoon because she made unnecessary bewitchment before using her ability -_-

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    "Go, thunder! Do this, do that, and blah blah."


     Just stfu and fry the damn Sentinel already... >.>
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    Gambit1024

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    #28  Edited By Gambit1024

    I think it should be Ms. Marvel.

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    haydenclaireheroes

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    I think Sue Storm is the most famous female marvel character. 

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    deactivated-5a98cd905fc97

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    @Ult_GBandit said:
    I hated Storm in the 90's cartoon because she made unnecessary bewitchment before using her ability -_-

    "Go, thunder! Do this, do that, and blah blah."

     Just stfu and fry the damn Sentinel already... >.>
    So true!  I liked the cartoon, but those moments were always a little over the top.  Also, Jean Grey's overacted yell/groan of pain.
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    howlettgrowl

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    #31  Edited By howlettgrowl

    either sue storm or jean grey

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    Donovan Montgomery

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      These three....

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    No Caption Provided
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    X-Men 3
    X-Men 3
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    SevanGrim

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    #33  Edited By SevanGrim

    as with everything Marvel, it depends solely on who their hyping that year.
     Sue and Jean should both be the easy choices. But people who only know the Hulk can GUESS thats shes related to him.
      And the last few years, MArvel has been hyping Ms. Marvel and Spider WOman more so than before.

    im sure at some point theyll decide Pixie or Kitty or someone deserves to be the new number one

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    xerox_kitty

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    #34  Edited By xerox_kitty


    When it comes to "iconic" I try to detatch myself from my knowledge as a comic fan... and start thinking as someone who would only have seen the TV shows & movies, as that's what the non-comic reading public will know.

     

    So in that respect, there selection to choose from is pretty slim.  There's: 

     

    • Mary Jane, who was a wimpering emo failed-actress in the movies, but more impressive in the cartoons;
    • Invisible Woman, with 2 movie appearances & various cartoons you can't dismiss her too easily;
    • Jean Grey, who Wolverine loved from afar for 3 movies, and played a pivotal role in most X-Men cartoons;
    • Storm, played by one of the most famous Hollywood actresses and had like Jean has been a strong figure in most X-Men cartoons;
    • Rogue, another popular actress & a character popular in every X-Men animated outing;
    • Pepper Potts, played by another Hollywood heavy weight & is Tony Stark's equal in business & affection, and a supporting mainstay in most Iron Man cartoons;
    • Wasp, she's appeared in all Avengers cartoon adaptations; and
    • Mystique, no-one said that the most "iconic" woman had to be a hero, and she's appeared in every X-Men animated series and played a vital role in the X-Men movies. 

     

    Straight away I'm going to rule out MJ & Pepper.  They're memorable to the general public, but hardly "iconic".  In the world of spandex-sporting super powers, they're just too "normal".

     

    Invisible Woman is a strong female character that any woman should be proud to be compared to.  But ultimately her choice in outfits is a bit dull (except for when she's possessed by Malice ;) and a power that means you can't see her detracts from raising her on the 'iconic' pedestal.  Likewise, the Wasp spends most of her time being teeny weeny and doesn't pack much punch when on screen that you can't have an "iconic" figure-heading character who you need a magnifying glass to see.

     

    So that leaves us with the mutants.  I'd actually go so far to say that Storm is more "iconic" than Jean & Rogue.  When you remove Jean's relevence as the "Phoenix", then she's just a girl who's romantically attached to Cyclops & Wolverine.  Storm is the more strikingly visual of the three X-Ladies.  A black woman with white hair & blue eyes is more exotic than a red-head, and a Southern girl with bad highlights.  That said, Jean was obviously the big love interest for all X-Men in all movies & cartoons... But her lack of a decent codename works against her.  For the majority of films & cartoons, Jean was rarely referred to as "Phoenix", instead she was just "Jean Grey".  It's easy for people to remember the name "Storm" or "Rogue" compared to "Jean Grey".  And Storm's codename sums up her powers neatly, while Rogue's powers are harder to explain & don't really connect to her codename...  So I'd say that Storm is more "Iconic" than Jean & Rogue.

     

    But Mystique has it all...  exotic looks, memorable powers, kick ass martial arts, a sexy codename & a deadly allure.  The fact that she's a consistant "villain" in movies & cartoons keeps her in the public eye.  Her appearance in the upcoming X-Men First Class will help to seal her status as an "iconic" woman of Marvel!

     

    When it comes down to it, I'd say that Mystique really is the most "iconic" Marvel woman. 

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    Raven0207

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    #35  Edited By Raven0207

    To me Marvel's most Iconic Female Character is Mary Jane Watson. I mean how many people out there don't know her catch phrase and her first appearance.John Romita hit a grand slam when he drew her at Peter's door saying "Face it Tiger, You just hit the Jackpot" Is there any other Marvel Female Character that has such a rememberable first appearance or scene where almost anyone from a small child to a grown adult would remember a comic line. I asked my nephew (who is 3) what's MJ's line and he yells out Face it Tiger !
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    Mrfuzzynutz

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    #36  Edited By Mrfuzzynutz

    The top females characters in Marvel as I see go as follows:

    1) Sue Storm
    2) Jean Grey
    3) She Hulk
    4) Ms Marvel
    5) Scarlet WItch

    I based this on popularity, importance to the overall interaction they have in the MU and sheer power levels
    Yes I know Jean is dead, but you can't have a X-men convo without brining her up, she is beloved and alpha level in power levels
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    The Devil Tiger

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    #37  Edited By The Devil Tiger


    Sue Storm, She-Hulk or Jean Grey.

     

    And I reallize that I didn't like any of them...

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    #38  Edited By SC  Moderator

    Its not strange at all that its so hard to identify Marvel's most iconic female character. The complete opposite if anything, it should be expected. As far as shared Universes go, having an easily identifiable most iconic anything in such a broad sense, is total, total failure and the day Marvel has an easily identifiable female character is the day they should start selling soap to animals. Another similar thread so to paraphrase myself because I am too lazy. 


    "Marvel can't have a Wonder Woman, nor should they try to, because too many of its female characters actually are competitive with each other, in terms of presence, popularity, and as to how iconic and synonymous they are with the company. The day Marvel has a Wonder Woman, is the day Marvel fails. Having one sole female character people can look up to and appreciate is not a good thing when you can have 3 or 4 of them. 
    Plus Superman was a huge part of Wonder Woman's existence. A lot of male characters are derivative of other male characters, just female characters were unfortunate to have this emphasized with their names. I mean, imagine if Sabretooth was called Blonde Wolverine, would that change the character? Not really, just the perception of the character, then that might change his character over time. People who have the time to look can she She Hulk is awesome, and that Storm is more than the X-Men. 

    Marvel doesn't need a Wonder Woman, and DC shouldn't want one either. Why have a Wonder Woman, when you can have a Wonder Woman, Cassandra Cain, Oracle, Power Girl, Huntress, Big Barda, Scandal Savage, Vixen, etc. Marvel is the same. Why have a Wonder Woman, when they got Sue, Storm, Jean, Rogue, Black Widow, Elektra, Ms Marvel, Sentry and She Hulk!" 

    Iconic can be pretty broad term, and looking over the thread there is plenty of very compelling evidence and intelligent arguments/reasons for a number of characters. This is a good thing. 
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    GundamHeavyarms

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    #39  Edited By GundamHeavyarms

    1.) Sue Storm. I'm really happy that she's getting recognition around here.
    2. Ms Marvel. I liked her series, she's  a good character and she has a lot of potential.
    3. Jean Grey.  I'm not a fan of jean, but she is pretty iconic in her own right.
    4. Scarlet Witch, I almost forgot about her, she was the  second female avenger I think.
    5. Storm, I never understood all the storm hype, I like her even less than Jean.  She's one of the first black female mutants, maybe that's why people love her.

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    ms__omega

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    #40  Edited By ms__omega

    What???!!!! No Rogue........*sad face*

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    BoOMbOoMpOw

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    #41  Edited By BoOMbOoMpOw

    When I asked my sisters which female comic book heroes they know the first answer always was Wonder Woman,Catwoman and sheera . But they also know Invisible Woman , Elektra, Storm, Jean Grey, Batwoman ( I know she is from dc :P ), Black Widow ( Thanks to my J.Scott Campbell Black Widow print in my room and Iron man 2 ) Rogue and they even know Mystique what was pretty surprising to me . I would say either Jean or invisible Woman is Marvels most iconic Character :)

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    IrishX

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    #42  Edited By IrishX

    Most Iconic - Sue Storm

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    #43  Edited By SC  Moderator
    @Ms. Omega said:
    What???!!!! No Rogue........*sad face*

    Rogue is your favorite? Ooh I didn't know that... she really needs support on Babs thread she made last week... (Fav Marvel Female thread) *grin*  (only like... two of us put her as fav, *sad face*)
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    xkoenig

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    #44  Edited By xkoenig

    Don't we have this same discussion every few months or so? Well, in any case, to make the point again, no Marvel doesn't have an iconic female character, and I don't think they need one, BUT... they absolutely should make more of an effort to promote and emphasize the awesome roster of female characters they already do have: Ms Marvel, Spider-Woman, Invisible Woman, Storm, Rogue, Psylocke, She-Hulk, Mary Jane, Black Cat and so on.

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    Cafeterialoca

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    #45  Edited By Cafeterialoca

    It really frustrates me that only X-23 is the only girl with a solo book right now at Marvel.  Marvel just hasn't been letting it's females really break out, and have many of them back seat to the men constantly.  When was the last time a female did something important in an event book that wasn't dying or being evil?
    I would love it Marvel did a Liberators book.  All female team, rotating cast.  Just let people see why these characters are remarkable instead of people seeing Mockingbird as "Hawkeye's girlfriend" for example.  Marvel really needs to step up it's game.
    Also, the most iconic girl is Storm, and it is really sad that no super heroine movies can be made.  Guys would be so intimidated by going and as said, Marvel hasn't been promoting it's girls that well.  Just to close this out with the guys intimidated thing, I went to a best buy once, and two guys were playing guitar hero.  One guy ended up being the girl, so he SWITCHED his controller with the guy next to him.  It makes me SOOOOO mad!

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    Vitality

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    #46  Edited By Vitality

     
     
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    Mbecks14

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    #47  Edited By Mbecks14

    Marvel really doesn't have a Wonder Woman. I would say Sue Storm if anyone i guess. Possibly She-Hulk.

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    INCSlayer

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    #48  Edited By INCSlayer
    @PeteyParker said:
    STORM!!! How is this even a discussion? 
    qouted for truth
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    Neuron

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    #49  Edited By Neuron

    The ones that come to mind are Sue Storm, Storm, Jean Grey, Ms. Marvel, and Spider-Woman.   It's hard to pick only one out of those.  Elektra, Black Widow, She-Hulk would be the next most iconic tier.

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    TheBlueAngel93

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    #50  Edited By TheBlueAngel93

    To be honesty, if I had to think of a character that's both female and is someone a good number of non-comic book readers know, it would be Invisible Woman.

    But personally I don't believe Marvel has a iconic female character. Elektra may be popular, but she's missing one thing that Wonder Woman has, and that;s being a role model. Sure, you can't dream of a being an amazon warrior, but she's a strong female role that is a superhero who has fought next to characters like Superman, Batman, Flash, and Green Lantern. Elektra on the otherhand is an assassin and really let's be honest, if I asked a little girl who her role model was, I'd be worried if it was the red clad murdering assassin.

    Many people above have said Storm, I think she is popular thanks to the countless X-Men cartoons and past movies; but I think the one problem Marvel women have that Wonder Woman doesn't is that their origins almost, if not all, derive from male characters or are forever stuck with the origins of a team and it's other members. The thing that makes Wonder Woman different is that her origin is her own, you can have a Wonder Woman movie with Superman or Batman, but you can't have a Strom movie without the X-Men (sure you can have a Storm Origins when she was a kid, but she stilll wouldn't be a superhero), you can't have She-Hulk without the Hulk, or Invisible Woman without the Fantastic Four. The main problem is that their origins are all tied to either a male character or a team of heroes, and this is something that Wonder Woman has never had a problem with.

    Ms. Marvel #27
    Ms. Marvel #27

    If I had to say who COULD be Marvel's most iconic heroine, I'd have to go with Ms. Marvel. Yes, she suffers the same problem as the other females that have been mentioned due to her origin being tied to Captain Mar-Vell, but unlike characters like She-Hulk, Invisible Woman, and Storm. With a good and modern recton or retelling of her origin story, they could easily write his big present in her origin out. Over the past few years, Marvel have been pushing her character, what with her ongoing series that ran fifty issues and was even leader of Mighty Avengers. Marvel see that she can be one of their biggest iconic female characters, but lately they've stopped pushing her character so much, which is a sad devolopment. Another issue is that her series was cancelled onlly becasue a large chunk of the series was dragged into constaint Marvel event after event, from Civil War, to Secret Invasion, and Carol even lost her title to Moonstone for a period during Dark Reign. This ruind her title because it didn't allow a good writer to put out good stories of Carol being Ms. Marvel and were forced to write tie-in after tie-in.

    Personally if any character had a chance at being Marvel's most iconic female, to me it would be Ms. Marvel. Her origin is in truth over-due for a modern retelling and with that the whole Capt. Mar-Vell issue could easily be worked out; not to mention that she has grown so much as a character over the years, becoming a strong and indepentet female character all on her own, even devoloping personall problems and issues such as her problems with alcohol. If any character had a chance, it would be the marvelous Ms. Marvel.

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